Paris Saint-Germain have landed in Japan for their pre-season preparations and three of their biggest stars have passed comment on the Japanese fans.
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar answered questions from journalists at a press conference upon their arrival in Asia.
The three stars were grateful for the welcome they received from the Japanese supporters of the Parisian club.
“It’s a pleasure for us to be here, we’ve had a great reception since we arrived at the airport and at the hotel and we hope to have a nice few days here,” said Mbappe.
Messi also had kind words for the Japanese fans when he spoke.
“We know that the Japanese fans are very fanatical and we want to return the affection,” said the Argentine.
They were also asked about their opinion of the Japanese national team. All three players were in agreement in praising the Japanese team’s play and in predicting Japan’s chances at the World Cup in Qatar, where Japan will meet Spain in the group stage.
One of the most endearing moments of the event was when Messi, Mbappe and Neymar answered questions from children. The children asked them for advice on how to succeed in football.
“The most important thing is to enjoy football as a child, as through football I learned about responsibility, effort, sacrifice and companionship,” Messi replied.
The funniest part of the event was provided by Neymar, whose headphones were not working properly when he was receiving the simultaneous translation.
“Leo is my translator,” he commented to the audience when Messi informed his teammate of the question he had been asked.
Still, the only one to take a crack at Japanese was Mbappe, who said “Arigato” – which means “thank you” – as he finished answering a question.
PSG are in Japan for three games in July: on July 20 against Kawasaki Frontale, on July 23 against Urawa Red and on July 25 against Gamba Osaka.
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